If you’re looking for a quick and tasty recipe, which also happens to be very healthy, you’ll definitely want to give this one a test-drive. With a few simple ingredients, you can whip this up in under 10 minutes and it’s great on it’s own or paired with grilled meats / fish during the summer months when you’re outdoor having fun on the BBQ. Clementines, mandarins or your favorite oranges will work in making the dressing and you can add a bit of finely diced Caribbean Sunshine (Scotch Bonnet) if you want a little kick to it.
You’ll Need…
2 bunches of watercress (trimmed)
1 medium avocado (ripe)
3 medium clementines (juice)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Important! If making this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Yes the recipe is posted in the vegetarian (it’s vegan too) section, but in the image you’ll see oven roasted chicken.. the salad itself is what matters. Save the hate comments.
In a bowl (or glass jar with a lid), place all the ingredients except the watercress and avocado and whisk. If using a glass jar, shake well. Yea, it’s that simple to make the salad dressing.
Wash, trim (off the thick stems) the water cress and set in the salad bowl. Then cut, slice and peel the avocado and top the watercress with it.
Pour on the vinaigrette over the watercress and avocado.. you’re done! You may save back a bit of the dressing so your guests can drizzle on a bit more if they so desire.
I’m sure you’re probably thinking that you didn’t really need a recipe for this as it’s so simple to put together.
I’m still to taste a Caribbean-style stewed lentils to rival my mom’s… I still look forward to the bowls prepped for the freezer she usually sends for me when she cooks up a batch. This recipe came about one night when I was craving her lentils, but the freezer was bare. I did find a can of lentils in the pantry, so I did what we “Caribbean” people do best.. improvise! With the addition of diced pumpkin and stewed tomatoes, this version is QUICK and very tasty.
You’ll Need…
1 large can lentils
1 can stewed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced pumpkin
1 cup veg stock
1 teaspoon browning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large shallot (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper
Important. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs, especially the stock you choose to use. Carrot is a good substitute for the diced pumpkin or you may use any of your fav squash.
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium flame then add the shallot and garlic, turn the heat down and cook for 2-3 minutes on low. Then add black pepper, scallions and diced pumpkin. Turn the heat up to medium/low and stir well.. cook for another minute or so.
Toss in the slices of scotch bonnet pepper or any pepper you have access to. Or you can leave it out if you’re worried about the heat. Remember to not include any seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat and be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling the pepper.
Now turn the heat up to medium/high and go in with the lentils (direct from the can) along with the can of stewed tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, parsley, veg stock (use chicken if you’re not making this vegan) and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the browning and stir well.
The sugar will help to balance the sort of tartness of the canned tomatoes and the browning will give it a wonderful color and caramel undertone flavor. Reduce to a gentle boil, cover the pot and allow it to cook for about 20-25 minutes.
The pumpkin should be tender at this pint. It’s time to personalize things a bit, but first remove the bay leaf and discard – it did it’s thing already, Check for salt and adjust. Then you can use the back of your spoon to crush the pumpkin a bit (if you so desire). If it’s too runny, crushing the pumpkin will thicken things up a bit. The first night I had this with rice, then next morning I had some with toast and the last bit I enjoyed as a soup for lunch. I encourage you to give this #meatfree dish a try.. it’s incredible. Still not my mom’s though.
Have you ever used canned ham? With a wonderful harvest of Jamaican Callaloo (chorai bhagi | amaranth) from my garden, I decided to put canned ham to use… to add some additional flavor to one of my favorite dishes. I always plant, Spinach, Collard, Jamaican Callaloo, Bok Choi and/or Swiss Chard in my garden every year, such is my luv for ‘greens’. Traditionally I grew up eating Jamaican callaloo cooked with pieces of salted cod (saltfish) and simmered in coconut milk. And while that recipe is indeed a classic, this one is just as tasty.
You’ll Need…
6-8 cups Jamaican callaloo (prepared)
1 can chopped ham (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoon olive oil (or coconut oil)
1/2 medium onion (sliced)
3 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 small spicy pepper (your choice)
1/3 teaspoon salt (adjust)
1/2 cup diced tomato (I used grape tomatoes from my garden)
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
2 cloves garlic (diced)
Wash and trim off the flowers and thick stems from the callaloo (discard), then separate the leaves from the stems (tender stems). Roll the leaves together and chop it about 1/4 of an inch ribbons. Trim off the skin off the tender stems and chop the now cleaned stems about 1/4 inch as well. Wash everything again and allow to drain.
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a medium flame, the add the onion, garlic, thyme, black pepper and spicy pepper (I used a scotch bonnet). Turn the heat down to low and cook gently for 3-4 minutes.
Remove the ham from the can, drain well and give it a quick rinse under cool water. Then dice into 1/4 inch pieces and add to the pot. Turn the heat up to low/medium and cook for about 5 minutes. The goal is to render out some of the fat and to brown the edges of the ham.
Turn the heat to medium/high and start adding the trimmed/washed callaloo to the pot. Stir well. It will wilt down so don’t stress about it all not fitting in the pot.
Since the ham will already have some salt, you can add the salt now.. but taste later on to make sure it’s enough to your liking. Turn the heat down to med/low, cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes. After that it’s time to add the diced tomato and lemon juice and cook with the lid off until all the liquid (it will spring naturally) is burnt off. Depending on how ‘cooked’ you like your callaloo, you may need to leave the lid on a bit longer with the lid on.
I gave it a further 6 minutes after I removed the lid off the pot. While not the traditional way of cooking Jamaican callaloo with saltfish, this ham version is quite tasty and well worth the test-drive. If pork is not your thing you can always use smoked turkey or salted cod as in the traditional recipe.
I have a definite weakness for String Beans, French Beans, Bodi (Yard Beans), Pole Beans, Seim.. just about any type of bean, once they’re cooked to my liking. Mom always said that even from my childhood days on the islands she was surprised how much I loved beans, spinach (bhagi) and tomato (in no particular order). Yea, I ate my vegetables (except okra and bitter melon)! This is one of those recipes she would make for us whenever we had Bodi or String Beans in our kitchen garden and there was leftover chicken (curry or stew) from the day before.
You’ll Need…
– leftover curry chicken
– 2 lbs string beans (trimmed)
– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 3 cloves garlic (diced)
– 1 small onion (diced)
– 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
– 1/3 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 cup water
– 5 cherry tomatoes (any tomato works)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder, as some may contain flour as a filler.
Prepare your ingredients. Dice the onion and garlic, then trim of the ends off the beans (remove any strings), cut into 1 inch pieces, then wash and drain. This recipe works great with French beans also.
Heat a saucepan (with a lid) on a medium flame, then add the vegetable oil (coconut or olive oil works just as well), then add the onion + garlic and reduce the heat to as low as it will go. Cook for a couple minutes.
Add the prepared beans to the pot, followed by the black pepper and salt. Turn the heat to med/high and stir well.
Add the water and bring to a boil (lid on). As it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes with the lid on. In my case it took about 14 minutes to get to the texture I like my beans.
Remove the lid and add the leftover curry chicken to the pot and give it a good mix to allow the curry flavors to flavor the beans. Cook for 5-7 minutes with the lid off. Then taste for salt (adjust to your liking) and finally you can go in with the tomatoes. I used grape tomatoes, but you can use a medium tomato diced. Note. The tomato is optional. Stir well, place the lid on and turn off the stove. Allow the residual heat to soften the tomatoes.
You’ll notice that I didn’t add any “Caribbean Sunshine” (spicy pepper) to the dish as the curry chicken I added was already a bit spicy, but you can certainly add some at the start if you wanted. For additional flavor you’re free to use coconut milk instead of the water I used to cook the beans. I wanted a mild curry taste, but you can also add some curry powder at the start when you added the garlic and onion, should you want a more pronounced curry taste.
There’s something so comforting about oven roasted chicken that it’s usually made in some form or the other in my home a couple times a month. Growing up on the islands, ‘bake’ chicken was a Sunday thing, along with macaroni pie, callaloo and other fixings. I still remember the aroma coming out of the kitchen early Sunday morning as we went about doing our weekend chores and the anticipation of that traditional lunch with my siblings and parents.
You’ll Need…
3-5 lbs chicken legs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 lemons
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
5-7 sprigs lemon thyme (divided)
1/3 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
cherry tomatoes (optional)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 scallion (chopped)
1 tablespoon honey (I used an organic raw honey)
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
Clean and trim off any extra skin and fat off the chicken. You may choose to remove all the skin, but when oven roasting chicken I like leaving the skin on. It helps to keep the chicken from going too dry, plus the rendering of the skin/layer of fat, keeps the dish moist. I also cut a couple slits on the thickest part of the chicken.
In a large bowl place 1/2 the thyme, 1/2 the olive oil, salt, juice of 1/2 a lemon (juice), orange juice, 1/2 the black pepper, honey, garlic, allspice, parsley, scallion and grated ginger. Give it a good mix, then pour it over the chicken.
Preheat your oven to 400 F. You may marinate the chicken for a couple hours, but in my case I went at it right away. Massage the pieces of chicken with your hands to coat both sides. Then sprinkle on the remaining black pepper and olive oil over the chicken. Tuck in the remaining lemon (sliced) as well as the thyme between the pieces of chicken (on a roasting pan/sheet) and place the tomatoes in-between as well.
Then it’s into the oven on the middle rack.
Depending on the size of your chicken pieces, it will take between 1 hour and 5 minutes and 1 hour and 20 minutes. For additional color, you may hit the broil setting the last 2-4 minutes.
So simple to put together and very tasty.. definitely a recipe I’ll encourage you to give a test-drive. Please keep in mind that I’ve cut back on the amount of salt I use, so you may need to add a bit more if salt is your thing. I’d recommend sprinkling on the chicken before it goes into the oven, if you do decided to add more salt. TIP! Line with baking tray with parchment paper or foil for less work cleaning up after.
This is one of those dishes which immediately takes me back to the Caribbean and my childhood days. Mom would usually make this for us (myself, brother and dad) the odd Saturday dad didn’t have to go to work. The breadfruit came directly off my grandmother’s tree and it was roasted on an open fire in a coal pot for that true island goodness. While I don’t have a coal-pot, nor can I achieve the same unique flavor it gives the breadfruit, this dish is still incredible. Definitely my idea of comfort food.
You’ll Need
1 Large onion (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 sprigs thyme
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced)
1 1/2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
2 cups prepared smoked herrings
5-8 grape tomatoes (cut in half)
1/4 medium cabbage (shredded)
1 medium breadfruit (roasted)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Please wear gloves when handling the smoked herrings as the oils can leave a distinct odor on your hands. And as we’ve discussed in the past, when handling scotch bonnet or any HOT pepper, you’ll want to use gloves and/or wash your hands immediately after with soap and water.
Heat the oil in a wide pan on a med flame, then add the onion, garlic, thyme, black pepper and scotch bonnet pepper (don’t include the seeds if you’re concerned about the raw heat). Turn the heat to as low as it will go and cook gently for 3 minutes.
Prepare the smoked herrings (I used fillets).. watch the video above (click on the link).
It’s time to add the parsley to the pot, stir well then add the prepared smoked herrings.
After a minute or so you can add the tomato and stir well. my heat is still on low.
Give it about 3-4 minutes, then add the cabbage and stir. Cook for another minute or two. I like my cabbage to have a slight crunch. Cook longer if you wish. You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to this dish as I find that the salty element the smoked herrings bring, is enough for my liking. However near the end you can taste and adjust the salt to your liking.
Turn the heat up to med and add the prepared pieces of roasted breadfruit. All you have to do now is coat the breadfruit with the smoked herring base and warm through. Usually 3-5 minutes.
This is one of those dishes which may give you the sleepies after.. yea it’s that good. If you don’t have/like smoked herrings, you can use salted cod or there are times I use bacon as a base as well. Instead of having the breadfruit as wedges you can cut them into smaller pieces. Feel free to go in with other vegetables etc.. sweet pepper, thinly sliced carrots, broccoli, green beans will work great.
As you make your way across the Caribbean you’ll encounter different methods of cooking curry dishes, influenced by one’s own preference and family traditions. A prime example is my way of cooking coconut curry chicken.. as I’m about to share. My technique and ingredients will differently differ from other recipes you’ll see… even the way I’d see my mom and grandma make their version. Coincidentally I don’t recall mom using coconut in curry chicken, unless it was a tough chicken (we say yard fowl), where the use of the coconut acted as a tenderizer.
You’ll Need…
3-4 lbs chicken (cut into small pieces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
4 sprigs thyme
2-3 scallions (chopped)
2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
1/3 scotch bonnet pepper
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon veg oil
1/2 medium onion (diced)
4-6 cloves garlic (smashed)
3 cardamom pods
1 cup water
4-6 grape tomatoes (optional)
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.. especially the curry powder you use, as some may contain flour as a filler. Also, I used dark/bone pieces of chicken, but this recipe will work just as great with chicken breast.
Season the clean chicken with everything except the oil, coconut milk, curry powder, onion, garlic, cardamom, tomato, cilantro and water. Allow it to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Heat the vegetable oil (coconut oil will be perfect too) on a medium flame then reduce to low and add the diced onion and smashed garlic. Cook for 3 minutes on low. Then add the cardamom and cook another minute or so. Next up add the curry powder (still on low) and stir well. Cook on low to cook off the raw curry taste and to bloom the spices which makes up the curry powder. It will go darker, clump and your kitchen will have a lovely scent of curry.
Now add the coconut milk, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a med/high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes. The goal is to cook off the liquid and really intensify the coconut flavor. You should end up with a thick base, with hints of the oil you started off with (plus oil from the coconut milk). Stir well as the natural sugars will want to stick/burn.
Here’s where you’ll now add the seasoned chicken and stir well. It’s ok if the marinade goes in as well. The goal here (high heat) is to coat and sear the pieces of chicken with the coconut curry base. Add the water to the same bowl you marinated the chicken in and stir to pick up any marinade left back. Cook the chicken for 7-10 minutes or until you’ve burned off any liquid it may have sprouted naturally.
In the image above you’ll notice that I added an entire scotch bonnet pepper as I like this dish very spicy.. adjust to your own liking. Also remember to wash your hands with soap and water after handling such spicy peppers. After the chicken is full seared/coated and you don’t have any liquid in the pot (this step was to infuse the chicken with the coconut curry flavors) it’s now time to add the water and stir well. This step is to fully cook the chicken and develop a thick gravy.
Bring to a rolling boil, cover the pot slightly ajar and cook for another 15 minutes. Then here’s where you personalize things. Taste for salt /adjust and cook until you get the desired thickness you like your gravy. For me this was perfect at this point as I knew it would thicken as it cools. Add the chopped cilantro and tomato (use shado benin/culantro if you have) and turn off the stove.
Please watch the video below to further assist in perfecting this coconut curry chicken. Some of you may question my use of ketchup and tomatoes.. both brings their own flavor and uniqueness, especially a bit of acidity in helping to balance things. BTW- tomato is very natural (and important) in cooking curry chicken when it originated.
Last Spring (can’t believe its been close to a year since I documented this recipe) I came across some stunning looking dandelions at my local supermarket and with my luv for ‘greens’ and my desire to experiment with ‘different’ ingredients, a bunch made it’s way home with me. Yes, if you’re familiar with dandelions you’ll know that for the most part it’s considered a weed you hate seeing on your lawn or garden. But I recall my first Spring in Canada and seeing people harvest them at the side of a country road so I knew they could be eaten.
You’ll Need…
1 large bunch of Dandelions
4 cloves garlic (sliced thin or crushed)
2 bird’s eye pepper (any pepper you like will work)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
6 grape tomatoes (any tomato will work)
1/2 lemon (juice)
1/4 cup coconut milk
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, vegan or vegetarian, be sure to go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet your specific dietary needs.
Place the dandelions in a deep bowl or sink and cover with cool water. Shake and remove from the water. You may need to repeat this (with clean water). This will help to remove the sand/dirt which may be on the leaves. Then trim off the tough (only) stems (discard) and in a bundle, cut into 1 inch pieces.
Heat the coconut oil (use olive oil if that’s all you have) on a low heat then add the sliced garlic. Cook for 1 minute of very low, then add the two birds eye pepper (optional). You may use any spicy pepper you like or even something like dried pepper flakes will be ideal. Cook for another minute or so.
It’s now time to add the washed, trimmed and chopped dandelions to the pot.. turn up the heat to medium high first. Stir well. Then add the black pepper along with the salt and cook for a few seconds, then add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.
After it comes to a boil, place a lid on the pot/pan, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 7 minutes. You can personalize this a couple ways. 1. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. 2. I like my dandelions with a slight texture, so all I did at this point was to turn up the heat and cook off the liquid at the bottom of the pot (4-5 minutes). At this point I also added the chopped grape tomatoes (lid off). However you can keep the lid on and cook until you get the desired results you like with your greens.
You’ll notice that I didn’t break the peppers (in the image) so I didn’t get the raw heat, you can break them if you want the fire.. or remove them at this point (before serving). At the very end (just before turning off the stove) I like going in with the lemon juice to brighten up the dish and to help avoid the itch I tend to get when eating ‘greens’.
I know it’s the middle of winter, but only yesterday when I was at the grocery store I saw really good quality dandelions being sold (next to the spinach and rapini). Plus, with spring around the corner you may want to hang on to this recipe and give it a test-drive when you get your hands on some freshly picked dandelions. Maybe I’ll do a video showing how to harvest wild dandelions in early spring.
Baigan and Aloo (eggplant cooked with potato) was one of my favorite things to eat as a kid growing up on the islands.. except when mom would put saltfish (salted cod) in it. According to her (my adult self agrees 100%) makes it more ‘sweet’ (tasty) and though mom never made this dish with shrimp, it’s now one of my go-to recipes when I’m homesick. Granted it’s not a ‘pretty’ dish, but I assure it you’ll fall in love with it.
You’ll Need…
2 medium eggplant (peeled and cubed)
1 lb shrimp (16-20) * Smaller will work best
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1/2 medium onion (diced)
2 Birds Eye Pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4-6 small potatoes (cubed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 cups water
6-8 cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go though the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you choose to use as there are some brands which use flour in their curry as a filler. Also note that while we did season the shrimp with a tiny bit of curry powder, technically this is NOT curry baigan wand aloo.
Peel and cube the eggplant and potato and set aside (keep the eggplant/potato in water to prevent it from going discolored) Season the washed (peeled and deveined) shrimp with the curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 of the salt and the Caribbean Green Seasoning.. mix well. Then heat 1 tablespoon of veg oil in a wide saucepan on a medium heat.
Toss in the seasoned shrimp, stir well and cook for 1- 1.5 minutes, then remove and set aside for later. In the same pot add the renaming tablespoon of vegetable oil and go in with the onion. Cook on low for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic along with the Bird’s Eye pepper and cook on low for a further minute.
Unless you want the dish spicy (like I do) try not to break the peppers or you will release it’s fury. After which it’s time to add the cubed potato followed by the eggplant.
Turn up the heat to medium high, stir well to pick up the shrimp flavor from the start, then go in with the water and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the remaining salt and cover the pot. After 20 minutes, crank up the heat to medium and put the lid slightly ajar. We’re trying to burn off most of the liquid while making the potato tender and fully cook the eggplant.
After 5 minutes or so you can now remove the lid completely, add the tomatoes and parsley, stir and taste for salt. Adjust to your liking.. as mentioned in the video, I’m trying to cut back on the amount of salt I use. Finally it’s time to add the precooked shrimp to the pot, stir well and turn off the stove / cover the pot. Let the residual heat finish cooking the shrimp fully. Remove the peppers at the point if you wish.
If you find that you have too much liquid near the end, you can use the back of your spoon to crush a few pieces f the potato. Do keep in mind that this dish will thicken as it cools. I ate mine with hot roti, so I needed a little gravy.. so it may look a bit runny in the picture.
With all the requests I’ve been getting for more breakfast / brunch type recipes, I thought I’d share a classic Plantain Frittata with you. While not something you’d traditionally see in the Caribbean, I came up with this recipe a few years ago when I had friends visiting for the weekend. The idea behind this frittata was to include 3 things we’re passionate about (ingredients) in the Caribbean… Salted Cod, Fresh Herbs and Ripe Plantains. You can be as creative as you want in your version.
You’ll need…
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion (diced)
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 sprigs Oregano (fresh)
1 cup prepared salted cod
5-10 grape tomatoes (cut 1/4)
2 ripe plantains (sliced fried)
3/4 cup grated cheese (med cheddar)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper (diced)
1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper (diced fine)
7 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
veg oil for frying the ripe plantains.
1 orange (zest)
1-2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. When using Scotch Bonnet peppers, be sure to use gloves and wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling them. Additionally, don’t include any seeds or the white membrane around the seeds if you’re overly concerned about the raw heat.
Prepare the vegetables etc. Then in an oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil on a medium flame. Add the prepared salted cod bits, followed by the onion and back pepper (reserve a tiny bit for the eggs). Turn the heat down to low and gently cook for 2-3 minutes. After which you can then add the diced bell peppers and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
With the heat still on low (remember to give everything a good mix), it’s time to add the parsley, oregano (pick off the individual leaves) and thyme (just the little leaves). Stir and cook for another minute or so.
Your kitchen should have that lovely aroma of the Caribbean by now. It’s time to add the tomatoes (I used grape, feel free to use whatever type you have) and stir well. Preheat your oven to 400 F(forgot to mention this earlier).
Whisk the eggs with the freshly grated nutmeg and black pepper (we reserved at the start). I didn’t add salt to this frittata as I knew the salted cod would have enough salt to season this to my liking. Plus the aged cheddar tends to be a bit salty as well. That said, you may need a pinch of salt in the eggs (not mentioned in the ingredient list). Pour the eggs into the pan (heat still on low), give it a mix and then add the grated cheese. Using a spoon, gently work the cheese throughout the egg mixture in the pan. Cook on the stove for about 5 minutes on low heat until it sets (firm up). Then place the pan on the middle rack of your oven.
In another pan. On a medium flame, fry the sliced plantain coins for about 2-3 minutes on each side. As they go golden in color, remove and continue frying the rest.
Zest the orange and add it to the brown sugar (mix well) and set aside.
After about 10 minutes in the oven, remove the pan and top it with the fried sliced plantain pieces. Top the plantain pieces with the brown sugar / orange zest mixture. The final step is to caramelize the top, so crank the heat up in your oven to “broil” (about 500 F) and place the pan back in for 2-3 minutes.
Please keep an eye on things at this point as we don’t want it to burn.
I guarantee you.. serve this and your family and friends will praise you. However, it may mean you’ll have to make this for them every weekend. The natural sweetness from the plantain, subtle hint of orange, base of herbs and salted cod.. that’s all I have to say. Serve warm!
As a kid growing up on the islands, I can’t remember mom ever making curry corn. And while it’s quite popular in Trinidad and Tobago and some of the other islands of the Caribbean today, I only started hearing about it about this dish a few years now. While in Trinidad a few days ago my neighbor gave me a sample of her version to try and while it was very tasty, it wasn’t ‘my’ version. Which I’m about to share with you today (filmed/documented back in August of this year). Yes, those of you requesting more vegetarian / vegan recipes will luv this one.
IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the curry powder you use, as some curry powder blends may contain flour as a filler.
If you’re familiar with the traditional recipe for making curry corn you’ll notice some differences in my version. Since I’m using sweet corm I prefer to slightly grill them to bring out even more sweetness and to add a subtle smoky undertone to the dish. You’ll also notice that I didn’t go heavy with the ‘curry’ as I wanted the curry to compliment the flavors of the herbs and corn. Finally I added some diced tomatoes… before you freak out – yes you can add tomatoes to a curry (very natural) as it’s acidity helps to balance the overall flavor of the curry dish.
Since it was summertime I decided to use the burner on my propane grill to cook the curry outside. Start by grilling the corn for about 5 minutes to give them a slight char. As they grill, heat your pot (one with a lid) on a medium flame and add the vegetable oil. Then add the onion and garlic and drop the heat to as low as it will go. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the scallions, thyme, parsley (reserve 1/2) and sliced scotch bonnet pepper (add as much as you can handle) and cook on low for a further 2-3 minutes.
Now crank-up the heat and add the coconut milk… bring to a boil.
Cut the grilled corn into 1 inch pieces and add to the pot. Add the salt and mix well to coat the pieces of corn with that rich coconut curry base.
Add the tomatoes (optional), cover (lid) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer when it comes to a boil and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Since I’ used sweet corn, the cooking time is much less than if using traditional Caribbean corn which is a bit more tough.
Do remember to stir a couple times so every piece of corn gets coated with that tasty curry goodness. Taste for salt, adjust and you’re done.
Since I didn’t have Sado Beni(culantro) nor cilantro, I saved some of the chopped parsley to top it when I turned off the stove. While curry corn may sound a bit strange to many of you, I assure you it’s one of the best vegetarian/vegan dishes you’ll ever have. As a side dish or as a snack when hosting friends.. do give this recipe a try.
Even as a child on the islands (I was told) I had an affection for tomatoes. While most of the stuff we get in the grocery stores today lack any sweetness or flavor, and even something as basic as the scent we associate with tomatoes, when I come across Heirloom tomatoes.. they come home with me. You won’t find any two looking the same, their shape will be somewhat weird (at times) and they may not be that uniform red color you’ve been programmed to associate with ripe tomatoes. My favorite way to enjoy such beauties.. raw a salad!
You’ll Need…
4-5 heirloom tomatoes
1/2 medium red onion
1/4 cup parsley
3-4 tablespoon feta (or any cheese substitute if you’re vegan)
* You can make the dressing in advance and store it in the fridge. Shake in a bottle or whisk before using. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.
* the bunch of red tomatoesyou see in the pic are NOT heirloom tomatoes.. used for staging the pic only.
Wash and remove the stems of the tomatoes. Then slice into wedges and slices. I like a combination of shapes for appeal and texture. Be sure to remove any tough core off the tomatoes, which can be near the stem area. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl as you slice the red onion and chop the parsley.
Finely chop the shallot and crush or finely chop the garlic. Then add it to a small bowl, along with the salt, pepper flakes, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. whisk to form your simple dressing. Please taste for salt and adjust accordingly as I’ve cut back on the amount of salt I eat. drizzle in some pomegranate juice if you’ve got some – wicked!
Pour the dressing onto the salad (tomatoes + red onion + parsley) and gently mix/toss.
Top with crumbled Feta and enjoy. If you’re doing this vegetarian, you may leave out the cheese or use any substitute you’d normally use in such cases. Some toasted cashew nuts would be a great addition, so too some candied pecans.
The natural sweetness of the Heirloom tomatoes along with this herb dressing will delight any taste-bud.
